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Alan Krigman Gaming Guru - Page 86  Longshots Can Be Attractive, But Not as Steady Bets27 August 1996
Longshots are bets with exhilaratingly high payoffs and excruciatingly low probabilities. Although gaming gurus often belittle them, these wagers have undeniable appeal. The primary argument against longshots is that the house usually has too great an edge. Returns, while monetarily large, are disproportionately small compared with the odds of winning. ... (read more)
Play Multiple Spots at Blackjack to Moderate Bankroll Swings20 August 1996
Blackjack buffs can usually pick how many positions to play in each dealing round. Single hands are most common, although quite a few players favor two or even more. There are also the valiant who vary their numbers of spots during a shoe, thinking they'll "change the flow of the cards" and ... (read more)
Good Poker Hands Are Tougher To Get Than You May Think13 August 1996
Most "live" casino poker is played with seven-card hands. Video poker, in contrast, is usually based on five-card draw. And, Caribbean Stud and Let It Ride - two new table table games apt to become casino staples - also use five cards. Video games, Caribbean Stud, and Let It Ride differ from live poker because they lack adversarial interactions. ... (read more)
The Higher Your Win Goal, The Less Chance You'll Reach It6 August 1996
Rules for leaving a gaming table or machine, for instance upon reaching a win goal or loss limit, are like parallel parking instructions. The books spell it out but nobody follows the step-by-step directions. After a few casino visits or curbside maneuvers, folks either get a "feel" for how to do it right, or just keep draining their resources or denting their Roadmasters. ... (read more)
When You Start Hedging or Holding Back, You're Betting Too High30 July 1996
Many table players "press" their bets skywards after locking-up a profit on several successive wins, hoping for a long run of hits. Such betting strategies don't change the house advantage inherent in various wagers. They do skew sessions toward large but rare wins and small but frequent losses, the dichotomy growing more extreme as pressing becomes more aggressive. ... (read more)
The Song of the Martingale May be A Gambler's Siren Call23 July 1996
Every gambling aficionado has heard, read, or dreamed about betting strategies that somehow carve an advantage for the player out of games where the casino normally has an edge. A plethora of specific approaches has been proposed over the ages, although all tend to focus around a few familiar mathematical forms. ... (read more)
If You Can't Predict the Future, Here's What's Next Best9 July 1996
At my blackjack table recently, a player drew a four-five versus a dealer seven-up. "Double or hit?" the player asked. "Double down," the dealer answered. The rest of us disagreed, arguing that basic strategy says to hit under these circumstances. The player hit, pulling a 10 to make 19. ... (read more)
Do You Have a Better Chance with More Ways to Win?2 July 1996
When it comes to bait for the hook of easy money, no premise or promise can be too preposterous. And don't think the only fish who nibble on nonsense are naive or nitwitted. Consider all the college presidents, museum directors, and ministers who sent seed money to the Foundation for New Era Philanthropy. ... (read more)
Multiple Craps Bets Moderate Your Risk25 June 1996
Craps players typically have multiple complementary wagers active at the same time. It's common, for instance, to bet on the pass line then "place" several numbers after a point is established. Players spread money on place bets to increase the action and avoid the agony of watching dice hit every number but theirs. ... (read more)
Should You Take Insurance When You Have a Blackjack?18 June 1996
Here's a puzzle that's perplexed blackjack players since time immemorial, maybe longer. You get an ace-queen - a fat and sassy blackjack. The dealer gets an ominous ace-up and says, "insurance is open." Do you take insurance... or your chances? Ask a battalion of bettors and you're apt to receive all the following answers. ... (read more)
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